Foot covering



A. :YAN'DELL May 22, 1945.

FOOT COVERING Filed Jan. 20, 1944 INVENTOR. flmw yandwfl Patented May 22, 1945 A 9 UNITED STATES PATENT {OFFICE 3 g FOOT COVERING Anne Yandell, New York, N. Y.

Application January 20, 1944, Serial No. 518,919

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a structurally and improved foot covering which may be worn in any desired manner, but which preferably is interposed between the stocking or foot and the wearers shoe.

It is the object of the invention to furnish a unit of this typeand which will remain in applied position and not tend to ride over or under the heel portion of the foot.

A further object is that of providing a foot covering which will be neat in appearance and which may be worn with complete comfort, aside from the fact that it will properly encase the foot and adequately protect the latter.

An additional object is that of furnishing a unit which will be of neat and pleasing design and simple construction and which, moreover, may readily be manufactured with maximum economy and of any desired and proper material. j 1 i A more specific object is-that of roviding a foot covering which in certain respects will present structural improvements over and beyond those incorporated in the design embodied in my prior and presently copending application for United States Letters Patent, filed on October 29, 1943, and identified on the Serial No. 508,161.

With these other objects in mind, reference is had to the attached sheet of drawing illustrating one practical embodiment of the invention and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the covering in applied position upon a foot; and

Fig. 2 is a, perspective view of the covering.

In these views the reference numeral 5 indicates the body of the unit which is preferably formed of woven material. This body includes sole portion 6, side walls 1 to extend adjacent the sides of the foot, and a toe portion 8. Preferably the latter-as taught in my prior application-is formed of arcuate overlapping portlons suitably connected to one another and to an arcuate toe extension,-as by stitching or other suitable method.

Woven or similar material is, of course, not self-supporting. Therefore, except when the covering is applied to the foot of a wearer, it will normally assume a collapsed position. However, when so applied, the sole portion will properlybut without constrictioncontact the adjacent parts and instep of the foot. Also, the portion 8 will snugly embrace those portions of the foot adjacent the toes and will remain in applied position contingent only upon a rearward pull or restraint being transmitted to the body of the foot covering.

In order to secure this result, the side Walls 1 are continued in the form of what might be termed straps 1 extending beyond the sole porsecured in a position by stitching or in any other desired manner. As illustrated, this strip or Webbing should be relatively broad so that it may lie in face to face contact with those portions of the wearers foot Which are immediately above the base of the heel.

By having the strip of such construction it is found that it will remain in contact with those portions of the foot adjacent which it is initially disposed and free from any tendency to ride downwardly over the heel of the wearer. This strip [0 should preferably be of substantially the same width as the straps but of a far more rigid material. It may, of course, be slightly broader or narrower. However, it should definitely present a flat face to bear against the adjacent heel portions.

Also, it is preferred according to the teachings of the present invention that the strip Ill be of relatively limited length as especially shown in the drawings. Moreover, the strip preferably embodies a certain amount of resiliency and to this end may be formed of more or less conventional elastic tape. Consequently, a slight pull is exerted upon the straps I and through them to the body of the foot covering. Any tendency of the forward portions of the covering to shift in the direction of the toes of the foot will, of course, be increasingly counteracted. Ifhus, it is found that the toe-enclosing portion 8 is maintained firmly and properly in toe-covering position.

Thus, among others the several objects of the I invention as specifically aforenoted are achieved. Obviously, numerous changes in construction and re-arranging of the parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined by the claim.

I claim:

An abbreviated sock or like foot covering of light, resilient, non-self-supporting fabric, comprising a central sole-providing portion of less length than the foot of the wearer and terminating at its forward end in an ,arcuate extension having a width and length suifioient to underlie the toes, of the wearer and terminating at the rear short of the forward zone of the heel of the wearer; relatively narrow side portions each terminating at its forward end in an arcuate extension substantially similar in length and width to said first-named extension, the rear edge of each of said side extension curving sharply outwardly from the edge of its associated side portion and being materially wider than its associated side portion, said side extensions being folded over each other and permanently secured to said firstnamed extension about its full periphery to form a toe covering and the rear of said side portions comprising relatively narrow side hands extending rearwardly of said sole portion and not connected thereto, said bands terminating forwardly of the heel of the wearer, and a strip connecting said side bands at their rear ends to form a heelengaging member, said strip being of material much more rigid than the material of said side hands and adapted to maintain a hat surface ANNE YANDELL. 

